The art of hospital food

Don’t knock hospital food. Catering for a hospital is completely different from catering for a restaurant. One, it’s a far more complex process because the requirements of a diverse group of patients with different nutritional needs has to be met. Two, most patients have poor appetite due to their medical condition or refrain from certain foods due to pantang larang (taboos). Mix the two together and it can cause quite a headache, writes HOOI YOU CHING. 

THERE is nothing quite glorious about hospital food, admits consultant dietitian Lim Kwee Ean of Besta Food Service. “One of the most common complaints from patients is that hospital food is bland. It’s true that taste ultimately influences food intake and hence, the process of recovery. But you cannot expect food to taste good when you reduce the ingredients that enhances its flavour. For example, hospital chefs use a mere two teaspoonfuls of oil to cook a meal which consist of meat and vegetables,” explains Lim.